**2014 BOND St. Eden:** PnP at a steakhouse. This is gorgeous wine that has a certain je ne sais quoi that I’ve found in other modern “cult status” Napa cabs. (By the way, not sure why CT and some other websites list these as Bordeaux blends since I called BOND and they confirmed all their grand crus are 100% cabernet.)
This is explosive right out of the gate with chocolate, cassis, pencil shavings, black tea, and oodles of blue fruit and currants. After it had been opened a few hours, it started to reveal green bell pepper and blue raspberry. On the palate, this is opulent and silky, with a spicy pepperiness on the attack that cuts through the ripeness. This is ready to drink now but I don’t think there’s any rush. It would be curious to hear from others who are more experienced about the longevity of these wines. I’m tempted to add some to my cellar now.
My only nit-picky critiques are that this was a bit hot on the nose, and the finish felt unexpectedly short for such a powerful wine. Nevertheless, this gets an “A” grade from me which puts it within the top 1% of wines I’ve catalogued to date.
**2017 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard:** This is a truly unique expression of cabernet that manages to distinguish itself in a sea of high-quality Napa cabernet. Its aroma evolved over the night but was always underscored by pronounced mint. Call me crazy, but at first it showed notes of brown sugar and cinnamon, notes that I don’t think I’ve ever encountered before in a Napa cab. Later, it developed hints of granny smith apple, eucalyptus, green bell pepper, and mixed berries. On the palate, this boasts ripe strawberry, tart blackberry, and red licorice. This was very interesting to watch evolve over several hours. A memorable and singular wine that is already enjoyable, but I’m not at all surprised to hear about these lasting decades.
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**2014 BOND St. Eden:** PnP at a steakhouse. This is gorgeous wine that has a certain je ne sais quoi that I’ve found in other modern “cult status” Napa cabs. (By the way, not sure why CT and some other websites list these as Bordeaux blends since I called BOND and they confirmed all their grand crus are 100% cabernet.)
This is explosive right out of the gate with chocolate, cassis, pencil shavings, black tea, and oodles of blue fruit and currants. After it had been opened a few hours, it started to reveal green bell pepper and blue raspberry. On the palate, this is opulent and silky, with a spicy pepperiness on the attack that cuts through the ripeness. This is ready to drink now but I don’t think there’s any rush. It would be curious to hear from others who are more experienced about the longevity of these wines. I’m tempted to add some to my cellar now.
My only nit-picky critiques are that this was a bit hot on the nose, and the finish felt unexpectedly short for such a powerful wine. Nevertheless, this gets an “A” grade from me which puts it within the top 1% of wines I’ve catalogued to date.
**2017 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard:** This is a truly unique expression of cabernet that manages to distinguish itself in a sea of high-quality Napa cabernet. Its aroma evolved over the night but was always underscored by pronounced mint. Call me crazy, but at first it showed notes of brown sugar and cinnamon, notes that I don’t think I’ve ever encountered before in a Napa cab. Later, it developed hints of granny smith apple, eucalyptus, green bell pepper, and mixed berries. On the palate, this boasts ripe strawberry, tart blackberry, and red licorice. This was very interesting to watch evolve over several hours. A memorable and singular wine that is already enjoyable, but I’m not at all surprised to hear about these lasting decades.